Did Chalabi Get High-Level Intel From A Drunk Pentagon Official?

by Steve

Keep an eye on this story over the coming days and weeks. It will be a sure sign that the White House suddenly wants its old friend Ahmad Chalabi gone if damaging allegations keep leaking out against him. If these stories stop, then it was all a show to get him out of the way so that the transitional government could take root and Bush could claim victory. The latest allegations, contained in this New York Times story out this morning, are that Chalabi obtained intelligence that the US had cracked a secret Iranian intelligence code, and he then passed along this information to the Iranians. How did Chalabi get this information? From a drunk Pentagon official.

It is known that Chalabi's supporters inside the Administration ranged from Richard Perle, to Dick Cheney and his staff, to Rummy's underlings and Rummy himself. Those who work with intelligence in the Pentagon, and in Rummy's Office of Special Plans would be the most likely to have blabbed to Chalabi, should these charges be true. I for one don't think Paul Wolfowitz would get drunk and blab to anyone about anything of significance, but that doesn't mean Douglas Feith, Stephen Cambone, or William Luti didn't.